SpaceX Falcon 9 - TurkmenÄlem52E - MonacoSat

  SpaceX Falcon 9 V1.1 - TurkmenÄlem52E - MonacoSat - Launching April 27, 2015

Screenshot from SpaceX Webcast of the launch of TurkmenÄlem52E - MonacoSat

Mission Rundown:

SpaceX Falcon 9 V1.1 - TurkmenÄlem52E - MonacoSat

Written: February 2, 2021

Lift Off Time	April 27, 2015 - 23:03:00 UTC - 19:03:00 EDT
Mission Name	TurkmenÄlem52E - MonacoSat
Launch Provider	SpaceX
Customer	Turkmenistan National Space Agency Monaco Space System International
Rocket	Falcon 9 V1.1 serial number B1016
Launch Location	Space Launch Complex 40 - SLC-40 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Payload	Spacebus 4000C2 shared Communication Satellite
Payload mass	4 707 kg ~ 10 377 pounds
Where are the satellite going?	Geostationary Transfer Orbit - 211 km x 35 430 km
Will they be attempting to recover the first stage?	No. One way ticket flying “bareback” with no grid fins or landing legs + hydraulic tanks, pumps...
Where will the first stage land?	The Atlantic ocean east of Florida
Will they be attempting to recover the fairings?	No - Not expected to survive reentry or water impact
Are these fairings new?	Yes - Two Type 1 boat hull sized fairings - 34 x 17 feet with 10 evenly spaced ventilation ports in a circle
This will be the:	– 18th flight of all Falcon 9 rockets – 13th flight of Falcon 9 V1.1 rocket – 17th SpaceX launch from SLC-40 – 18th crash landing. Soft, hard, deliberate, Ups... – 5th mission for SpaceX in 2015
Where to watch Where to read more	SpaceX link Want to know or learn more link visit Tim Dodd

Launch debriefing (This is what happend)

T-00:19:35 - T-00:12:36 T-00:20:00 T-00:19:35 T-00:14:12 T-00:22:39 T 00:00:00 T+00:01:25 T+00:03:00 T+00:03:08 T+00:03:58 T+00:08:55 T+00:26:00 T+00:27:00 T+00:32:15

SpaceX Webcast at 00:22 John Insprucker is hosting - Audio only Clock stopped at 7:24 because of weather Clock reset at 7:37 SpaceX resumes countdown at 39:22 Clock stopped at 44:48 because of weather Clock reset at 46:18 Liftoff at 1:08:58 - No Flight Telemetry - 11:03 pm MaxQ at 1:10:22 MECO 1:11:57, stage separation 1:11:59 SES-1 at 1:12:06 Faring separation at 1:12:55 SECO at 1:17:52 and coasting - 11:13 pm SES-2 at 23:29 UTC or 11:29 pm - Doh - Same time SECO-2 at 23:30 UTC or 11:30 pm SpaceX doesn’t show deployment - 11:35 pm

ABS-3A Eutelsat 115 B	CRS-6	TürkmenÄlem 52°E  MonacoSAT	CRS-7	ORBCOMM OG2-2
Jason-3	SES-9	CRS-8	JCSAT-14	Thaicom-8

Did you know they were friends?

SpaceX’s customer for this mission is Thales Alenia Space. With this flight, the Falcon 9 rocket will deliver the TurkmenÄlem52E/MonacoSat satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The Thales launch window is targeted to open at approximately 6:14pm EDT on Monday, April 27, 2015, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. If all goes as planned, the satellite will be deployed approximately 32 minutes after liftoff.

Weather delay postponed the launch twice 49 minutes to 23:03 UTC.

NOTAM area of Stage 1’s impact zone after launch of TurkmenÄlem52E - MonacoSat

The Payload

TürkmenÄlem 52°E / MonacoSAT (formerly referred to as TurkmenSat 1) is Turkmenistan's first satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space in the Cannes Mandelieu Space Center. Launched from Cape Canaveral on 27 April 2015 aboard a Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket, the satellite operates at 52°E in the geostationary orbit and has an anticipated service life of 15 years.

The 52°E position is controlled by the Principality of Monaco and the satellite includes 12 transponders that are referred to and commercialized as MonacoSAT as well as the 26 transponders referred to as TürkmenÄlem. The satellite is operated by the Turkmenistan National Space Agency. Wide Network Solutions is the satellite's biggest commercial operator.

The satellite was originally intended to be launched on a Chinese Long March 3B rocket but International Traffic in Arms Regulations prevented some US made parts being exported to China for the launch, and so it was switched to a SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 launcher in June 2013, and planned for late 2014/early 2015.

The launch was initially scheduled for 21 March 2015 but this was delayed to study a problem with a helium pressurization system on the Falcon 9 rocket, and a new launch date was set for no earlier than 24 April 2015.

SpaceX clarified the reason for the delay: "the issue wasn’t with the [helium] bottles themselves, but rather other bottles from a similar lot that failed testing at the company’s assembly plant. We identified a potential condition that could be shared with those on board the Thales vehicle."

Screenshot of the computer rendered TürkmenÄlem 52°E / MonacoSAT satellite with the Spacebus 4000C2 between the two solar panels and supporting three transponder beam reflectors

The spacecraft will maneuver to its final location via its onboard thrusters. The satellite’s primary propulsions system is an Astrium S400 bipropellant engine. After the subsequent launch on 27 April 2015 ground stations successfully positioned the satellite at 52°E.

12 of the 38 transponders have been leased to Space Systems International for the life of the satellite, in exchange for the use of Monaco’s geostationary slot at 52 degrees East. SSI have, in turn, leased these transponders to SES who will operate them under the name MonacoSat. Sharing the transmitters and cost on geostationary satellites is common.

TurkmenÄlem/MonacoSat is designed to operate for at least fifteen years.

Although TurkmenÄlem is Turkmenistan’s first true satellite, it is not the country’s first association with spaceflight. In August 2005, a capsule containing the country’s flag and the writings of then-President Saparmurat Niyazov was launched into orbit attached to the third stage of a Dnepr rocket. The capsule remains in orbit.

Author William Graham link link

Coauthor/Text Retriever Johnny Nielsen link to launch list